Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.25.2

← 7.25.1 7.25.3 →

Passage 7.25.2: Codrus's death prompts the Peloponnesian retreat from Attica

Mythic Non-skeptical

Greek Text

ταῦτα Ἕλλησιν ἦλθεν ἐς μνήμην, ὅτε ἀφίκοντο ἐπὶ Ἀθήνας Πελοποννήσιοι, τότε Κόδρου τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις τοῦ Μελάνθου βασιλεύοντος. ὁ μὲν δὴ ἄλλος στρατὸς τῶν Πελοποννησίων ἀπεχώρησεν ἐκ τῆς Ἀττικῆς, ἐπειδὴ ἐπύθοντο τοῦ Κόδρου τὴν τελευτὴν καὶ ὅντινα ἐγένετο αὐτῷ τρόπον· οὐ γὰρ εἶναι νίκην ἔτι σφίσι κατὰ τὸ ἐκ Δελφῶν μάντευμα ἤλπιζον· Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ ἄνδρες γενόμενοι μὲν ἐντὸς τείχους λανθάνουσιν ἐν τῇ νυκτί, ἅμα δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τούς τε ἑαυτῶν ἀπεληλυθότας αἰσθάνονται καὶ ἀθροιζομένων ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς τῶν Ἀθηναίων καταφεύγουσιν ἐς τὸν Ἄρειον πάγον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θεῶν αἳ Σεμναὶ καλοῦνται τοὺς βωμούς.

English Translation

These events came to the memory of the Greeks when the Peloponnesians marched against Athens during Codrus, son of Melanthus, who was then king of the Athenians. Now the main part of the Peloponnesian army withdrew from Attica upon learning of Codrus's death and the manner in which it had occurred; for they no longer hoped for victory, according to the oracle which had come from Delphi. But some of the Lacedaemonians, who had entered secretly inside the city walls by night, only at daybreak became aware that their own forces had departed; and noticing the Athenians gathering against them, they fled for refuge to the Areopagus and to the altars of the goddesses whom they call Semnai.

Proper Nouns

Semnai (Σεμναί) deity
Kodros (Κόδρος) person
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Melanthus (Μελάνθης) person
Peloponnesians (Πελοποννήσιοι) person
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) person
Hellenes (Ἕλληνες) person
Delphi (Δελφοί) place Q75459 Pleiades
Athens (Ἀθῆναι) place Q844930
Attica (Ἀττική) place Q122443
Areopagus (Ἄρειος πάγος) place Q202487
← 7.25.1 7.25.3 →